When the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic in March 2020, almost everything about the coronavirus was an open question. The question was, “Why did the infection spread so quickly?” How sick will it make people? Will he be able to protect himself from future incidents in just one match?
In the four years since then, scientists have solved some of the biggest mysteries about the coronavirus. We now know everything from how this virus spreads (no, standing 6 feet apart is not a sure fire prevention) to why kids don’t get as sick as adults to brain fog. We know far more about what’s behind the strange symptoms the virus causes. “Coronavirus Toe” Here’s what we learned.
Why do people’s experiences with the coronavirus vary so much? And are Super Dodgers real?
By now, most Americans have contracted the coronavirus at least once. While the majority of infected people are experiencing flu-like symptoms, some have been hospitalized with severe respiratory illness and others have no symptoms at all.
Part of this can be explained by the amount of virus we are exposed to, but our bodies also play a big role. Symptoms tend to be more severe in older adults and people with existing health problems because their immune systems are already compromised. weakened. In some cases, the body may fight off the virus before it has a chance to multiply enough to cause symptoms, or it may clear the virus so quickly that a positive test no longer occurs.There is also strong evidence that vaccination Reduces the severity of the disease.
Experts say people who have never been infected are fully vaccinated and should be very cautious about avoiding exposure (by wearing masks and avoiding crowds) and working from home. He said that there is a high possibility that this is the case.
Scientists are trying to investigate whether there is something biologically unique New coronavirus super avoider It gives immunity against infections. But the closest they’ve come is that mutations in human white blood cell antigens, which signal to the immune system that cells are infected, could help eliminate the virus quickly and allow people to become completely asymptomatic. I discovered something.
Is the spread of the new coronavirus caused by coughing or sneezing?
At the beginning of the pandemic, we all thought the coronavirus was like a ninja flying across the earth. We frantically wiped down groceries, washed our hands to the sound of “Happy Birthday,” and tried to turn doorknobs with our elbows.
but the study has since shown that contaminated surface rarely blame Due to the spread of the virus. It is more likely to spread through the air we breathe. Some of that may be due to the large droplets created when someone coughs or sneezes, which led public health officials to recommend staying 6 feet from other humans early in the pandemic. This is for this reason.
But please research He also suggested that the virus could also be carried by aerosols, or smaller particles, and could infect people from far away. “These particles behave similar to cigarette smoke. They come out and get wafted around and can hang around in the air for a while,” said Lindsey Marr, an environmental engineer at Virginia Tech. Dr. Marr and his colleagues discovered that particles as small as 5 microns can carry something. more infectious virus Because they are produced deep within the lungs, droplets are less likely to form than large droplets.
Vincent Munster, director of the Division of Viral Ecology at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said other studies show that viruses are still evolving to become better at airborne transmission. Stated.
How long will our protection last?
Infections and vaccinations generally provide protection for several months, said Akiko Iwasaki, a virologist and immunologist at Yale University. But immunity depends on factors such as age, underlying health, and whether the virus has acquired mutations that help it evade our defenses.
Immune defense includes antibodies that circulate in the blood to help detect and neutralize viruses, B cells that produce more antibodies when needed, and learning to recognize and predict mutations in the viral spike protein. It includes many elements, including T cells.
Experts believe that higher antibody levels correlate with greater protection. However, some studies have shown that antibody levels drop significantly by 3 months after infection. infection or vaccination. Dr. Iwasaki also said that it is difficult to pinpoint the number of antibodies needed to provide baseline protection “because new variants are continually emerging.”
T cells provide a different form of protection that reduces the severity of symptoms rather than blocking infection, and research suggests this immunity may be long-lasting. one year Or more.
What’s behind the strange symptoms?
Eliminating the virus requires a strong immune response, and many of the unusual side effects of Covid may be due to a dysfunctional immune response. For example, researchers found that in people with a distorted sense of smell or complete loss of smell, the virus latches onto ACE2 receptors in cells that support certain nerves in the nose. This causes a surge of immune cells, which release proteins to eliminate the infection.In the process, I accidentally alter gene activity Adjacent nerves are damaged, disrupting the sense of smell.
Because the nose acts as a gateway to the brain and other parts of the central nervous system, this overly aggressive immune response and subsequent inflammation can lead to other lingering neurological symptoms caused by the coronavirus, such as brain fog, headaches, and ringing in the ears. It may also be the key to understanding the scientific impact. It can cause ear pain, tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, and even depression, said Dr. Maria Elena Ruiz, an infectious disease expert at George Washington University.
It remains a mystery why some people develop painful swelling and discoloration in their fingers and toes. But these symptoms are also being reported less frequently, which may mean people’s immune systems are less likely to be out of whack from past infections or vaccinations, Dr. Lewis said.
Is there any kind of seasonal vacation due to the new coronavirus infection?
When the coronavirus first broke out in the winter of 2020, many people hoped that summer would bring about a recovery (at least in some parts of the world). It is true that during the cold season, when people spend more time indoors, there are naturally more opportunities for aerosol transmission of the new coronavirus. Additionally, buildings are more tightly sealed in the winter, which can lead to poorer ventilation and higher levels of airborne germs.Several research suggests When relative humidity is low, viruses remain infectious longer, meaning particles carrying the virus can remain in the air for longer.
However, the coronavirus does not appear to be seasonal in nature, and “there was clearly a surge in the summer as well,” Dr. Marr said.
But experts agreed they wouldn’t be surprised if the coronavirus, like other respiratory viruses, eventually settles into a predictable seasonal pattern. Dr. Munster says it’s difficult to predict whether it will take several more years or decades.
Do children have a secret weapon to protect themselves from the coronavirus?
Early in the pandemic, people worried that children, notorious germ spreaders, could easily catch and spread the virus. They were also worried that children would get especially sick, since children tend to experience the most severe consequences of influenza and RSV.
However, due to the coronavirus, children appear to be largely spared from serious illness. A small number of people are hospitalized or develop life-threatening symptoms such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C).
Dr. Alpana Waghmere, an infectious disease specialist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, says it’s now clearer why this is happening. He said children’s immune systems may be better prepared against the new coronavirus because they are frequently exposed to benign coronaviruses that cause colds. Additionally, research has shown that another defense mechanism known as the innate immune response is: strong among childrenwhich helps warn the body against foreign pathogens, such as the virus that causes Covid.
How can a virus wreak havoc on humans for months on end?
One theory is that lingering symptoms and new complications that can occur in the months after the initial infection (known as long corona), as well as other rare side effects, are due in part to abnormalities in the immune response. It is said to be the cause. Dr. Ziyad Al Ali, director of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, said people who develop COVID-19 over a long period of time react overly aggressively to acute infections. , or may have an immune system that doesn’t respond aggressively enough. Research also shows that the virus may: hide inside the body It causes an ongoing low-level immune response and inflammation after the main infection is over.
Other evidence It suggests that the virus can damage the lining of blood vessels and cause small blood clots that block circulation to different parts of the body. This can lead to lingering joint pain, brain fog, chronic fatigue, and dizziness after standing up too quickly.
Dr. Al-Aly said that although many of the mysteries of the coronavirus have been solved, he is concerned that the public is becoming tired of the virus, and that the reality is that the virus is “still in the rearview mirror.” “I haven’t.”
